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PDF versionWoman in same-sex relationship denied Communion at mother's funeral
by Jerry Filteau on Feb. 28, 2012
In matters of faith and morals, the church has the responsibility of teaching and of bringing the light of the Gospel message to the circumstances of our day. When questions arise about whether or not an individual should present themselves for Communion, it is not the policy of the Archdiocese of Washington to publicly reprimand the person. Any issues regarding the suitability of an individual to receive Communion should be addressed by the priest with that person in a private, pastoral setting.
GAITHERSBURG, Md. -- Just two days after Maryland's Legislature passed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage, a Gaithersburg priest reportedly denied Communion to Barbara Johnson, a former Catholic school teacher, during her mother's funeral Mass because Johnson is a lesbian living in a same-sex relationship.
In response to the controversy that erupted over Saturday's incident, the Archdiocese of Washington, in which the Gaithersburg parish is located, said, "Any issues regarding the suitability of an individual to receive Communion should be addressed by the priest with that person in a private, pastoral setting."
The priest who reportedly refused Communion to Johnson was Fr. Marcel Guarnizo, a parochial vicar at St. John Neumann Church in Gaithersburg, a city in Montgomery County about 25 miles northwest of Washington, D.C.
In an interview Monday with WUSA-TV, the Washington-area NBC affiliate, Johnson said she was "shocked" by the priest's denial of Communion when she approached to receive the sacrament near the end of her mother's funeral Mass.
Shortly after that, she said, when she came up to give a closing eulogy, Guarnizo left the altar; afterward, he declined to accompany her mother's body to a cemetery a few miles away in Aspen Hill. Johnson said she was told he had become ill.
Johnson expressed appreciation for the archdiocesan statement criticizing Guarnizo's action but said at some critical life moments, "we don't get a do-over."
The archdiocese said it "will handle this as a personnel issue" with Guarnizo. Archdiocesan spokeswoman Chieko Noguchi declined to comment beyond the archdiocese's prepared statement.
Last summer, Guarnizo led an anti-abortion rally with a prayer of exorcism outside the Germantown abortion clinic of LeRoy Carhart, who is known nationally for his willingness to conduct late-term abortions.
Here is the full text of the archdiocese's statement Monday regarding the funeral Mass incident:
The archdiocese is looking into the incident at a funeral Mass that was celebrated by Fr. Marcel Guarnizo and will handle this as a personnel issue.
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[Jerry Filteau is NCR's Washington correspondent.]
How sad that a woman should
How sad that a woman should be publicly humiliated at her own mother's funeral. I've seen a lot of people who I know are not in good standing with the church receive the Eucharist at funerals and weddings. It is not the appropriate time for the priest make such a stand, imho!
Ms. Johnson, you are in my
Ms. Johnson, you are in my prayers. I am so sorry that your mother is gone. And I am sorry you were given another wound to suffer when already in pain.
God is with you and with your spirit.
I also extend my deepest
I also extend my deepest sympathies as a Catholic that those who should have been there to comfort you were not. May God's angels receive your Mother and enfold you in their embrace,as well as those in your family and all your friends. I weep literally that your church, in the person of the presider at your Mother's funeral could not respect you and your loss.
JESUS WEEPS AGAIN ........
JESUS WEEPS AGAIN ........ The inhumane action of Fr. Guarnizo is a not very surprising example of the type of clerical tyranny we can expect if the US bishops succeed in their current "crusade", with some evangelicals and right-wing Republican operatives as allies, in establishing a virtual theocracy in the US.
For more on this "crusade", please read the comment,"Papal Ploy Planned in 2009", readily accessible by clicking on at:
http://ncronline.org/blogs/distinctly-catholic/gops-b-team
Please also read the very informative article, "How The Far Right Roman Catholics and Taliban Evangelicals Trapped the President", readily accessible by clicking on at:
http://frank-shaeffer.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-far-right-roman-catholics...
Just because it is legal does
Just because it is legal does not make it right. God bless the good Father.
Who is to say that Fr. Guarnizo did not approach and counsel this women to refrain from receiving. It is the office of the priest to safeguard the souls entrusted to him, otherwise it may lead to scandal if he allowed this to occur.
This same situation occurred when Cardinal Egan privately approached Rudy Giuliani and requested he not present himself to Communion in that the Mayor did not receive a declaration of nullity of his marriage to Donna Hanover, and his attempted marriage to Judith Nathan. It was done quietly until the Mayor put the Cardfinal on the spot.
I believe Fr. Guarnizo led a "Pro Life" rally (not an "anti-abortion" rally)and exorcism of that dispicable butcher, who has no qualms about sucking the brains out of a baby seconds before it could be born. I hope Jerry Filteau does not have a problem with a priest doing his job.
I hope Jerry Filteau does not
I hope Jerry Filteau does not have a problem with a priest doing his job.
____________________________
And how exactly would you define his job? Public Embarrassment? Personal Humiliation? Ridicule? I wasn't aware that this was in a priest's job description. I find his conduct anything but Christlike....
Just as the Rainbow Sash
Just as the Rainbow Sash protestors present themselves for Communion, itching for a confrontation, this woman may have done the same. We don't know if she was counseled by the priest beforehand. That is part of his job.
If she were counseled AND presented herself for Communion, then she brought the embarrassment upon herself.
The homosexual lobby only plays on emotion, totally disregarding the objective disorder of homosexual actions. They want everyone to accept their behaviour as something good, even meritorious. Their actions are hateful to themselves, to those with whom they homosexually participate, and to the benighted masses who are fed the empty diet of tolerance of every and any depraved behaviour.
I pray the woman repents of her sin and lives chastely as an example that we all carry crosses, some of which are very burdensome.
Some good points Dromig. I
Some good points Dromig. I like the way you phrased it.
Andrew K
very poorly put, dromi, and
very poorly put, dromi, and fallacious too.
This was no Gay Pride parade.
THIS WAS HER MOTHER'S FUNERAL!!!
and this is how we received her?
with scorn and rejection?
this is not of Jesus
This is not of God
for God is Love
especially at a mother's funeral, an hour of deepest need, not for rejection and hatred, but for love, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, acceptance, forbearance, patience, empathy, faith, hope, charity, and all the rest of that stuff we used to call virtues . . .
now we find rejection considered virtuous
not in my book
but my book is old
and reads
God is Love.
Love thy neighbor
love thy enemy
judge not
by reaching out in love we make God real.
what does this create?
Defending the indefensible.
Defending the indefensible. That buffoon of a priest cannot be defended. He deserves to be publically embarassed. A little humility would do this self righteous fool some good.
The priest did exactly what
The priest did exactly what he should have done. He was made aware of her "situation", and announced who should present themselves for communion. By presenting herself for communion, she brought this on herself.
With that attitude you could
With that attitude you could very well have been there two thousand years ago, stone in hand, ready to nail the woman caught in adultery. My God does anyone here have any compassion left in them? Do any of these legalists (strict conformists to the law rather than the spirit) writing here have an idea who Jesus Christ was, what He said and did? From some of the remarks here, one would think He'd be crucified all over again for having the audacity to associate with homosexuals and have the gall to eat with them. Does anyone here who calls him or her self a Christian have any idea what it means to love your neighbor? Some of the attitudes here have manifested anything but the heart and mind of Christ.
Bravo. It is very sad that
Bravo. It is very sad that so many are Catholic but not Christian. Jesus weeps.
There are witnesses that were
There are witnesses that were with Ms. Johnson and Fr. Guarnizo when they met before the Mass that attest to the fact that he never spoke to her about his position (or that of the Church). He did not offer her Reconciliation. He simply covered the Host with his hand and publicly rebuked her. His greater sin was refusing to accompany her mother to the cemetery or to find a suitable replacement. That task was left to the funeral home director.
If, and I repeat "If" what
If, and I repeat "If" what you write is true,then I am even more astonished that this priest did not have the courtesy to telephone or meet with the grieving daughter, Ms. Johnson, prior to the family's arrival at the Church for the funeral. Does anyone know how to teach good manners or a protocol of compassion and sympathy? What kind of pastoral skills was this priest being taught in the seminary? Permit me to continue.
Father Guarnizo is described as the parochial vicar, so he's not the pastor. If it was common knowledge about Ms. Johnson's status as a lesbian in a committed relationship, then did the pastor and Father Guarnizo discuss the funeral beforehand or not? For God's sake, the deceased woman was a parishioner. Where's the pastor in this? If the archdiocese has rebuked Father Guarnizo for his actions, which I commend, then where was the pastor in this situation? I hope to God the pastor didn't throw the associate under the bus, "here you take it, it's my day off!" regardless there is no excuse for Father Guarnizo's conduct. Let's not pretend for one minute that the priests in the rectory did not think that this scenario (the daughter's desire to receive the Eucharist and her eulogy) might play itself out during the funeral mass. They knew, and sadly they made it worse because it has caused so much pain and scandal.
Why would anyone want to
Why would anyone want to follow the Catholic faith if this is how a priest does his job?
Let's see. Will it be a
Let's see. Will it be a slight tap on the wrist or a very stern "no, no" over cocktails?
So this priest decided to
So this priest decided to publically embarass the woman at her mother's funeral Mass. How pastoral. Perhaps he needs to be embarassed a little bit?
Now let's see - what was it
Now let's see - what was it that happened when Jesus was brought face-to-face with a woman who had been caught in the very act of adultery? I seem to remember that he said that he did not condemn her. I am shocked almost speechless that any so-called "man of God" would do such a thing AT A FUNERAL MASS to the daughter of the deceased person. And we are supposed to see Fr.Guarnizo as a stand-in for Jesus? Come now.
He also said, "Go and sin no
He also said, "Go and sin no more." Is that being judgemental?
"go and sin no more" if she
"go and sin no more" if she had been able to do that, she would have qualified for instantaneous sainthood! Even if she did sin again, which is more likely since she was human, repentance is always an option....after all, even in addiction therapy, relapse is a vital part of recovery. Why we hold on to the idea that all the "sinners" Jesus healed NEVER sinned again is ludicrous. Where do people come up with these ideas? If their lives had been so radically changed then they no doubt would have congregated around His cross, fact is they didn't!
Amen to that! I think you
Amen to that! I think you understand the meaning of that gospel!
If this man posing as a
If this man posing as a priest is "in persona christi," then Catholic Christianity has deteriorated more than I thought.
His action reminds me of this:
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
Macbeth Act 5, scene 5, 19–28
In each of these kinds of
In each of these kinds of cases, I keep coming up with the question which is almost a cliche: What would Jesus do? We don't know that for sure -- he never stood in a Catholic Church, distributing Communion -- Jesus wasn't Catholic. Remember? But he did reach out to the woman who reminded him about the dogs under the table and the scraps. And we are not talking here about dogs and scraps, but about human beings, worthy of respect and reverence. Do we need to "defend" Jesus from people who might not officially qualify for participation? Whatever you do for the least of these brothers and sisters, you do for me. He didn't say "Catholic" brothers and sisters. Now, maybe the words of the Gospel do not carry over exactly to our liturgical practices, but one would think they would have some relevance.
Well, it is always good to
Well, it is always good to back up airy references to "what Jesus would do" with concrete examples.
Jesus presided the Last Supper. The Last Supper as recorded in the synoptic Gospels and the Letter to the Corinthians is in direct continuity with second century descriptions of Christian liturgy, which is essentially the Mass. Jesus' words of consecration, more or less the same in use today, are the same words used in ancient sacrifices. So, if you believe the New Testament, Jesus did celebrate Mass and distribute communion.
Jesus did reach out to sinners, but in order to rescue them from sin, like Zacheus or the woman caught in adultery. I suppose, therefore, the most Christ-like thing for a priest to do would be to reach out to lesbian ex-Catholics and try to convince them to return to the Church and live chaste lives, like that Jane Roe lady did. Unfortunately any priest who tried that would be verbally crucified by the good readers of NCR.
Father Guarnizo may well have
Father Guarnizo may well have thought he was doing something good and prudent, but I am sure as time passes and later he reflects on his actions he will discover in the solitude of his life and in the quiet of reflection, that neither he nor anyone has the right to deny someone access to the Lord. That tactic has been attempted many times in history, most notably by the apostles themselves and were admonished by the Lord for doing so. The Eucharist is not a reward for good behavior, it is as much a cause for unity as it is a sign of unity. Deciding who is worthy and who is not, is not our prerogative primarily because none of us is worthy! What I consider the most disappointing and malicious on Father's part was his unwillingness to stay on the sanctuary for the eulogy and his refusal to escort of the faithful from the Church. To whom was his anger directed?
Hard to see what the priest
Hard to see what the priest did wrong here. It's all well and good to say that "issues regarding the suitability of an individual to receive Communion should be addressed by the priest with that person in a private, pastoral setting," but if the person publicly presents herself for communion, she's the one who has caused the situation and caused the necessity for the priest to act, perforce in public. What is the priest to do? Giving communion would cause scandal, and not doing so causes, it would appear, meritless hectoring of the archdiocese.
The priest's emotional
The priest's emotional cruelty to the woman who was burying her mother is the scandal. Why would anyone want to join a church whose priests act like this? This priest did not act like a christian - one who follows Christ rather than a set of man-made rules.
Fr is a brave man,
Fr is a brave man, solicitous of his parishioners' souls. He was entirely correct. Every Catholic knows they must be in a state of grace to receive the body and blood of Christ and Ms Johnson had to know. Why was she teaching in a Catholic school?? The cardinal is weak and the American Church is suffering from this PC attitude.
This priest's bishop,
This priest's bishop, Cardinal Wuerl of Washington DC, has explicitly stated that it is not up to the priest to decide at the communion rail whether or not a person who presents himself or herself for communion may receive it. He should give the person communion. Wuerl does not refuse communion to politicians in DC who are pro-choice (such as Nancy Pelosi) as an example to other priests.
This priest has openly and very publicly defied his bishop.
That's right, let's go around
That's right, let's go around hurting people and insulting them just so we can retire to our little room at night and feel smug that we have followed a rule or kept to one of our tiny principles.
It's neither tiny nor a mere
It's neither tiny nor a mere principle.
Then what is it, if it is not
Then what is it, if it is not pure and unadulterated legalism...."woe to you Pharisees who tie up burdens and place them on others backs and do nothing to lift them."
Then what exactly is it, if
Then what exactly is it, if not pure and unadulterated legalism?
It is Church Law that is
It is Church Law that is based on good theology, solid pastoral practice, and even good psychology. Mensa membership is not required to see that a priest’s giving Holy Communion to a known practicing lesbian is, besides a sacrilege, tantamount to a sanctioning of the immoral lifestyle. When we are enabled in our vices by those willing to sanction them, we tend to keep them up. A good, charitable rebuke, on the other hand, can lead to the salvation of a soul.
How do YOU know whether
How do YOU know whether someone is a practicing "sinner" or not? Even if a person is gay or lesbian the Church instructs ALL of us to treat them with dignity and respect. An individual may very well be open about his or her sexual orientation, but even the Church will say that does not make someone a sinner. May I remind you that morality is based on behavior NOT personhood. Unless you are privy to someone's sexual activities you have no right to conclude they are doing anything sinful. Are you in charge of who should and who shouldn't receive the Eucharist? Do not judge and you will not be judged, I'm confident you've heard those words before.
So you seem to equate Holy
So you seem to equate Holy Communion to, say, a Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval?
Your approach denies Jesus
Your approach denies Jesus the capacity to heal through His efficacious grace in the Eucharist. Essentially this priest, and those who agree with him, are stating Jesus does not have the power to work through His own body and blood to heal and bring His people to Him. Jesus must be prevented by mere mortals from doing His Father's business. This attitude is the epitome of human narcissism. The apex.
I have read and re-read this
I have read and re-read this statement for days now, I must comment....this is inherently filled with profound spiritual insight, theological understanding and human compassion. You don't make this stuff up, you either pray and reflect or you never get it. Well done!
This is not a clear-cut
This is not a clear-cut case.
The woman is identified as a former Catholic, and openly living in sin. The situation is public knowledge, so there is nothing surprising in her being denied communion. It is not a matter of judging the state of her soul but of not "causing scandal", that is not confusing people about what is right and what is wrong.
If, on the other hand, she really was "shocked" to be denied communion, she may be living in such a state of obtuse ignorance as to not know the two thousand year old teaching of the Church on these matters. In that case, and given the emotional nature of a funeral, it may have been imprudent for the priest to deny her communion.
But what I think the article is missing is a sense of the holiness of the sacrament, which is intrinsic and not based on our feelings at the moment. St. Paul says that anyone who approaches the altar unworthily "eats and drinks judgement upon himself."
St Paul does not state that
St Paul does not state that the celebrant has the right to make that determination for those approaching the altar. Such a thing is above any celebrants pay grade.
When you can walk on water
When you can walk on water and change water into wine, then you can judge others. Otherwise, shut up and focus on your own sins.
Dave, The case, which you
Dave, The case, which you described as not clear-cut, is not even nearly as clear-cut as you assumed. For starters, contrary to your apparently clear-cut assumptions, the story did not identify the woman as "a former Catholic," nor did it say she was "openly living in sin." Your entire premise is therefore wrong and horribly judgmental.
Firstly, the woman continues to be a member of her own home parish in Northwestern Washington, D.C. (not the Gaithersburg, MD, parish to which her mother belonged and where the funeral took place). A news report in the Washington Post subsequeent to the NCR story said that Fr. G learned of her lesbian relationship from her partner just before the funeral Mass, and he did not discuss it with Ms. Barbara Johnson prior to the Mass or his decision to refuse her Communion. That plainly contradicts archdiocesan policy (generally accepted throughout the Catholic Church) that pastoral decisions to deny Communion should not be made at the Communion station during Mass, but only in light of prior private pastoral conversations.
Secondly, canonically, it is possible that two people who are not married but living together are not engaged in a sexual relationship (usually referred to in canon law as a "brother-sister" relationship, but in this case a possible "sister-sister" relationship). Your judgment that Ms. Johnson is patently living in sin because she is living with another woman is categorically beyond the pale: No church official would make that judgment without serious evidence that the person's relationship with her partner is actually sexual (I have no serious personal doubts that it is a practical sexual relationship in this case, but for ecclesiastical or civil evidence that the two are currently engaged in morally illicit same-sex sexual conduct, or "living in sin," simply living together does not constitute proof).
If in fact by receiving Communion unworthily the woman wreaked divine judgment upon herself, that is between her and God; the church pastorally must abstain from making such judgments unless it has morally certain evidence that such a judgment is correct. By denying her Communion on the basis of information he received just before the funeral Mass without any further personal consultation with the woman before his action, Fr. G plainly ignored standard church procedures for dealing with such cases.
Whether his decision to deny her Communion was objectively correct or not in terms of the substantive issue of whether she was living in violation of church teaching, it was plainly in violation of standard church pastoral practice of giving the benefit of doubt to anyone approaching Communion unless that person has endured substantive interrogation and shown himself or herslf to be living in plain violation of church teaching.
I know the lovely Ms.
I know the lovely Ms. Johnson: she taught my daughter and gave the students a wonderful Christian example. One could not have asked for a better role model. I was always taught that it was between the Lord and the individual in matters of faith and Eucharist. I am so very disappointed in my church that a priest would treat Ms. Johnson in such an inhumane manner. I am so deeply hurt for Ms. Johnson and by the church.
Definitely one of my favorite
Definitely one of my favorite teachers at a private catholic school.
"Instead of giving up meat,
"Instead of giving up meat, maybe some should give up their self-contracdctory, hompohobic religion for Lent." I didn't coin the phrase, but it seems to fit in this case. www.freecatholics.org
I know the lovely woman, Ms.
I know the lovely woman, Ms. Johnson. She taught my daughter, and she was always a wonderful example of Christian kindness and goodness. We are committed Catholics and think the world of Ms. Johnson. I am deeply hurt for Ms. Johnson and also hurt by my church. Christ was open and loving to all, and so should we be. I was taught as a child that Eucharist is between the individual and the Lord, and that it was a great sin to be judgmental. What has happened to that type of teaching? I hope our leaders will examine their rhetoric. Many of our young people are very discouraged with the type of judgmental behavior exhibited by this priest and other leaders in the church.
Mrs Rohrer: in the midle of
Mrs Rohrer: in the midle of such awful mess, you are a true Christian witness, Can I ask you a favor? Please tell Ms. Johnson that, on the other side of the Atlantic, is someone who is mourning with her. God Bless!
I agree with all the comments
I agree with all the comments that are supportive of Barbara Johnson.
As far as the article is concerned, while it may give a wider impression of the
personality of the priest, adding the comment about his recent anti-abortion activity is simply drawing in an issue that is not relevant to the subject of denying Communion to someone because she is living with another woman.
Will I now be refused
Will I now be refused communion, as I have told my parish priest in the USA that I am an Obama supporter after he preached a sermon relaying the local bishop's message to vote against the government?
Is being Democratic now grounds for excommunication?
I am certain, Charles, that
I am certain, Charles, that some of those who have posted to this article will indeed push for your excommunication on the grounds you cite, out of the rigidity of their thinking, their simplistic understanding of biblical theorogy, and their need to cling to black-and-white answers to protect themselves from any sense of uncertainty. But, many of us here will be happy to assist with your appeal.
simply vote for Barry and
simply vote for Barry and Joe, the Catholic!
Charles, we are moving toward
Charles, we are moving toward the situation in which merely thinking is grounds for excommunication, especially thinking for oneself instead of parroting.
The Church has never gotten over the control it lost in the 1700s, and it never reconciled itself with the ideal of the empowerment of ordinary people that emerged from that time. That is why we still hear it said with pride that the Church is not a democracy. The democratic, critical ideals of the Enlightenment have not been seen by the Church as being good. The Church prefers submission, not thinking and questioning.
Sorry Ms Johnson for the
Sorry Ms Johnson for the unChristian, unCatholic behavior of 'priest' Guarnizo. There are not words to express the hurt and pain the vicious action of Guarnizo has inflicted on another human being, at the funeral of her own mother.
Guarnizo does not image Jesus Christ at all, as Jesus taught the Law of Love NOT the Love of the Law. This despicable power mad and unChristlike bully should be defrocked. He is NO priest of Jesus at all.
Jesus valued and did not allow the murder of the adultress, he valued the Samaritan woman of the well Apostle, he valued the brave Phoenician gentile mother.
Jesus Christ was IN COMMUNION with the other, with the marginalized, the unconventional idea of the "unworthy" were very WORTHY to Jesus.
COMMUNION and Community is Jesus NOT Ex-Communion and lack of community.
Law of Love and not legality and not Love of the Law. SHAME on Guarnizo.
No wonder the fastest growing demographic is ex-Catholics LEAVING the RCC.
Do NOT Come Home is the message of Guarnizo. Clueless and Cruel Guarnizo.
Religionists are so obsessed
Religionists are so obsessed with sexual things that it is becoming a joke.
How dare these priests deny
How dare these priests deny communion to lesbians when they have done nothing to expose their fellow priests who have sexually abused children! They are a continuing disgrace to the priesthood, to the Church, to Catholics and most of all to the victims to whom they have added abuse by their moral neglect. Such immoral behavior has no place in the church, especially by one who holds himself out as one who can act in personal Christi.
Wrong of Fr Guarnizo. Jesus
Wrong of Fr Guarnizo. Jesus broke bread with the sinner Zaccheus, deliberately sought him out, went to his home and ate with him. Communion with a known, public sinner. Zaccheus became transformed due to the community Jesus shared with sinners and saints.
How can the priest or the pope be so dense as to not understand the basic teachings and actual examples, actions of Jesus and get things so wrong like Fr. Guernica has done with Ms Johnson. Lacking mercy, lacking charity, lacking love, lacking compassion is Fr. Guernica. The polar opposite of Jesus Christ was this action by Fr. Guernizo.
Do not entrust any weddings, baptisms, funerals, christenings,confirmations, to such as Fr. Guernizo. Get him a New Testament and get him lessons on it. He has turned away one of God's children, many millstones hang around his unfaithful neck.
WRONG. The people Jesus ate
WRONG. The people Jesus ate with REPENTED of their sins. I doubt this woman has repented of hers. She appears to be living as a secure sinner, which Jesus would reject.
Where did you read that? He
Where did you read that? He ate with sinners all the time who had yet to repent, the most obvious I know of was a fellow named Judas.......
the only way to draw people
the only way to draw people close is by loving acceptance, not rejection
He was not handing her a
He was not handing her a piece of bread - he was handing out the BODY, BLOOD, SOUL AND DIVINITY of our Lord Jesus Christ!
http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/holycom/denial.htm
As any Catholic ought to know, we are governed by the Code of Canon Law. The Priest was required by Law to refuse Communion to her, knowing what he knew
"[Canon 915] plainly articulates the responsibility of the minister of Holy Communion, ordinary or extraordinary, to deny Holy Communion to those who obstinately persevere in manifest grave sin."
He would have been required to do the same if she was straight and living with a man outside of marriage.
Dear "Dog in the library" get
Dear "Dog in the library" get out from the racks of books and get a newspaper or turn on the computer, FYI, the Cardinal and the Archdiocese have officially apologized to her for "pastoral insensitivity". By the way, the minister of communion was giving the Body of Christ to the Body of Christ, that's correct, His presence is NO more in the Eucharist than He is in each of us, thanks to our baptism! St. Augustine states it so well, "Become what you eat" or even better, "God became man so that man might become God."
Aside from this particular
Aside from this particular case (which I think is really quite sad and a misguided application of Church policy but will, nonetheless, be praised by people like Cardinals George and Dolan, Achbp. Chaput, etc.), I keep coming around to the question of denying anyone the sacrament of Holy Communion. I do not recall a time before the 1990's when that was ever practiced, nor encouraged. The approach I recall was that receiving Communion was a sanctifying experience by which anyone and everyone who believed in it as the body of Christ, was drawn closer to God - and that it was an act (receiving) that involved one's soul in communion (small "c") with God. How the clergy have gotten in the middle of this is to me a real distortion of the most sacred of Catholic experiences. It is now (ab)used as a punishment for not following the party line, or for not doing exactly what the bishops command (this is not the case in Europe and other countries) and not even all of them demand the same as others. The Holy Eucharist should never, ever, be used as a reward/punishment for dogmatic matters. Every priest I personally know of (both diocesan and religious) would also never, ever do that.
sorry, barbara, i am sure our
sorry, barbara, i am sure our Lord came to you spiritually anyway...it deeply
saddens me to see how a priest could deprive one of our Lord in the
sacrament of communion....blessings on you and i am sure your mom is
in the arms of Mystery, and knows all the answers to all the questions we
all ask about life and the failings of our church so marked by human
judgments and forget it really is about God and our relationship in
conscience to Presence;....it all recalls a true experience of a priest who
at the mass during a wedding of a catholic and a non-catholic;..at the
communion time he said to the congregation..."those of you who believe in
the real Presence please come forward"...as did 95%...a woman started up
and hesitate a minute, the priest beckoned her to come...after mass she
came to the priest and said, "Father, i am jewish, but this was the first
time in my life i felt God's presence in my soul, thank you." Ah, to
deprive God in the sacrament to you, Barbara, is so sad...but, i do believe
God still came to you inspite of this priest's sad judgement..."forgive him
Lord, he knew what he did.."....your mom will get Mystery to hug and take
care of you.....dncrowley
This despicable priest has
This despicable priest has made an entirely unwarranted assumption that Barbara Johnson is in a state of sin, simply because she is living with a woman. There is nothing in the Catechism to state that in itself is sinful. Even if the relationship is sexual, we also cannot assume that this is necessarily in contravention of her conscience, any more than we assume married couples using contraception are necessarily in a state of sin- else a major proportion of our congregations should be denied communions every Sunday. None of us, not even a priest, has the right to judge the interior state of another's conscience.
What the Catechism does state very clearly, is that homosexuals (and every body else) are to be treated with "respect, compassion and sensitivity". There was none of that in evidence at this funeral. By his own logic, it is the priest who is in contravention of the Catechism, and so in a state of sin.
Is he to be denied communion on that account?
He certainly needs to repent, and to make due reparation by way of a proper apology for most grievous hurt and pain to the family - not to mention grave scandal to the church.
Inevitably when these sad
Inevitably when these sad occasions are reported, the usual suspects among the temple police will rise up to proclaim that we must not create scandal by allowing "those sinners" to receive communion.
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May I submit the following:
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Ahem... we are ALL sinners, and none of us is "worthy" — NONE!
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Who exactly is "scandalized"??? Perhaps 'Sarah and Saul Sanctimonious' who monitor the communion line for publicans and sinners, and speculating on their motives, rather than with eyes cast down quietly offering thanks to God for their own communion??? Perhaps if their eyes were closed in prayer they would discern their own spiritual brokenness. See: Luke 18:9-14
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The real scandal is that for many clergy and laity the grace of God in the Eucharist has been reduced to a trophy reward for excellent rule-keeping, or a battering ram to punish imperfect rule-keeping. Like the bumbling disciples, they constantly seek to run interference and keep others away from the Christ... especially those they deem "unclean"/unworthy, lepers, sinners, the hemorrhaging woman, etc.
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I couldn't help but wonder if perhaps the priest involved in this story suddenly "became ill" when the Holy Spirit of God convicted his own miserly soul of the dreadful deed he had done in denying Our Lord's healing grace in the Eucharist to a grieving daughter. Perhaps this priest abruptly "saw" the darkness in his own heart?
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That might be, as Paul Harvey would say, the rest of the story. Only God knows for sure... But then again, only God knows for sure the state of Barbara Johnson's soul too.
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AileenUSA will you be my
AileenUSA will you be my friend? As always you have once again written so pointedly and so well that I continue admire and respect your insights. You are to be commended once again for your spirit of compassion and understanding.
Priests who raped kids are
Priests who raped kids are not only allowed to recieve communion but were and probably still are consecrating and distributing it. Surveys show the majority of priests who don't abuse children are also not chaste as Catholics once assumed they were. Maybe Fr. Guarniz is one of the ones who are, maybe not. Either way he was a cruel jerk to this woman and as noted disobedient to his bishop. Yet he is a hero to those who pray for a return to the harsh Catholicism before Vatican II. If this is what we can expect from priests then Pope Benedict's prediction of a "smaller, purer" Church may be smaller than he expects.
Before we all go around
Before we all go around judging this lady and even the priest involved, lets remember we all will face judgement before God. He will make the final judgment and for some of our conservative, republican, catholic bishops who protected the sexual offending priest in the scandal that is still ongoing. God bless all of us, we are all sinners.
This episode shows how strong
This episode shows how strong "judgment anxiety" is in Catholics who leave serious right and wrong decisions to their own will and not what the church teaches. Pro-choice Catholics despise "being judged" as well. Defiance, anger, and hurt are understandable defenses against the anxiety that is stirred especially if you live in the Washington Post world. Father reached deep into the place where Barbars's rebellion hides from grace. God never gives up trying to love us back to Him.
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